(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a surgical endoscopic suction/irrigation cannula assembly including a valve actuator.
(2) Brief Description of the Prior Art
Surgical endoscopic procedures typically follow three steps. First, a cannula, such as a Veress cannula, is inserted into the abdominal cavity through the abdominal wall and the cavity is inflated with insufflating gas which is passed through the cannula tubular housing. After insufflation, a small incision is made in the skin and a standard trocar spike is thrust into the inflated abdomen through the bore of the trocar tube. The spike is inserted for purposes of puncturing or cutting of the abdominal wall and piercing the fascio and peritoneum inside the cavity. After removal of the spike, a suction/irrigation cannula is inserted through the trocar housing and into the opening so that fluids may be drained from the body cavity.
Endoscopic surgery also includes the introduction through a trocar tube of a number of auxiliary surgical instruments such as, for example, a laparoscope, or the like. Heretofore, in many surgical instances, endoscopic surgery procedures have been performed through the trocar tubular housing by sequential insertion and removal of surgical instruments as they are needed. As the surgery is performed using such instruments, many situations require concurrent introduction or removal of gaseous or liquid fluid materials immediate the area of the surgery. Thus, removal of the surgical instrument from the body cavity through the trocar tubular housing and reinsertion through the trocar housing of a device for transmission of the gaseous or liquid substance not only complicates the surgical procedure, but is also time consuming and may introduce unforeseeable consequences to the surgical operation.
Endoscopic surgery is a very fine art, demanding extremely controlled movements of the surgeon's hand in the operation of the surgical instruments through the trocar housing. Therefore, any valves or other components which are required to be manually manipulated by the surgeon must be extremely sensitive and manipulatable in direct response to a very minor application of pressure or movement of the surgeon's hand or finger.
In copending application Ser. No. 656,951, filed Feb. 19, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,910, and entitled "Surgical Endoscopic Suction/Irrigation Cannula Assembly", and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there is shown and disclosed a "trumpet"--like valve assembly and cannula for use in irrigation/suction techniques for endoscopic surgery. The present invention is provided in order to enhance the sensitivity of such a device to hand manipulation by the surgeon and to afford the surgeon a positive "feel", indicative of the movement of the valve to the open position. Accordingly, the invention permits the introduction or removal of fluid to or from the body cavity during surgery by activation with only a minor amount of pressure through the surgeon's finger and provides a positive indication, transmittable through the device and the operating finger of the surgeon, indicative of the positioning of the valve head to open a fluid flow passageway.
The present invention also provides for introduction or removal of fluid from the body cavity during surgery through the cannula housing through which an auxiliary device may be inserted at any time during the surgery without removal of the valve actuator device. Thus, an auxiliary endoscopic instrument may be utilized concurrently with the device of the present invention to introduce and/or remove gaseous or liquid fluids from the body cavity during the surgical operation.